Djadja replaces Sjafrie as Jakarta military chief
Djadja replaces Sjafrie as Jakarta military chief
JAKARTA (JP): Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin will be replaced
as chief of the Jakarta Military Command after serving only eight
months in the post.
The new incoming commander is Maj. Gen. Djadja Suparman,
currently the chief of the Brawijaya Military Command overseeing
East Java.
Sjafrie, once considered a rising star in the Armed Forces
(ABRI) Headquarters, is a 1974 graduate of the Army Academy.
Djadja holds the same rank as Sjafrie but is the more senior of
the two, having graduated from the academy in 1972.
"Maj. Gen. Sjafrie will soon become assistant for territorial
affairs to the Armed Forces chief of general affairs," ABRI
spokesman Brig. Gen. Syamsul Ma'arif said while announcing the
reassignment of several officers here yesterday.
Sjafrie will replace Maj. Gen. Deddy Sudarmadji, who is set to
assume an administrative post at the Armed Forces Headquarters.
Maj. Gen. Djoko Subroto will take over the post as chief of
the Brawijaya Military Command left vacant by Djadja. Djoko is a
1970 graduate of the Army Academy.
The Armed Forces Headquarters said the new postings were part
of a "normal" rotation of assignments.
Rumors that Sjafrie might be removed from his post have been
rife since the devastating riots which hit Jakarta last month.
Syamsul, however, was quick to deny such speculation.
"No, it's not true. The transfer of duty was purely a normal
and routine change of tour by the Armed Forces Headquarters," he
said.
Sjafrie, who had a admirable record in his early years in the
Army's special force (Kopassus), served as one of former
president Soeharto's adjutants from 1993 to 1995.
The 46-year-old general apparently continues to maintain close
ties with the former president and has been seen accompanying
Soeharto to perform Friday prayers several times since the
latter's resignation last month.
Djadja, 49, is known to be a close friend of Gen. Wiranto,
especially after he assisted the Armed Forces chief in organizing
a huge joint-military exercise on Natuna island, Riau province,
in 1996.
Djadja has never served as a presidential adjutant.
Among those also included in the tour rotation announcements
was Maj. Gen. Ryamizard R.C., who will become deputy chief of the
Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad). He will replace Maj.
Gen. Kivlan Zen, who will be assigned an administrative task at
the Armed Forces Headquarters.
Ryamizard, son-in-law of former vice president Try Sutrisno,
is currently commander of Kostrad's Second Division, which is
based in Malang, East Java.
On Wednesday, Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto announced
the new chiefs of the Navy, the Air Force and the National
Police. (imn)